Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-10-11
A BACHELORS BEDROOM.

medical student: but had he become quail
fed durine that time, he could never have |
been engaged to the plain but fascinating
Miss Bastwick. The Rev Sir Ebenezer Bast-
wick, Bart, was the squalson OF Loavesea-
Fishingham He owned most OF the
property in that neighhorhood; but land
owning did not occupy quite all his time, so
he bestowed his leisure upon the cure OF sous
and the family living upon himself, Loave-
sea rectory, which commanded a fine view OF
open sea and sky, was let to an artist who
was great at turning those natural advan-
tages to mercantile account; for IL was not TO
be expected that the Bastwicks should turn
out of the comfortable mansion to which
Providence and the successful roguery of a
remote ancestor had called them. 1t was
argued by certain diSaife,'ted persons that the
hall was incon:a.HcnIIv far away from
the parish it was almost days
Journey for people who did not keep car
riage, as few of the Loavesea congregation
debut as the Rev Baronet was not inclined
to hold very frequent intercourse with his
flock, such cavaliers were treated with the
righteous contempt which they deserved.
When Chafer went down to read with his
friend Timson for another shot at the ex-
animation periodically held by the Royal Col
lcge of Surgeons he found that newly fiedged
practitioner very thick with the Bastwicks.
lie had crept into Lady Bastwick's good
opinion by the prompt way in which he had
dealt with an outbreak of measles among Sir
Ebenezer's tenants III the village. Embold-
ened by her petting, the ambitious apothe
cary was preparing to lay siege to the virgin
affections Of Miss PulSatilla, the only child,
consequently the helress of the house OF Bast-
wick Now, it so happened that Pulsatillas
mother was of novel reading and romantic
turn and she had determined that the heiress,
whether she married for love or not, should
form what reasonable people generally con-
slider an imprudeut match. Still, even this
matron's slender discernment could see limits
to the uIIsuitability which she required, and
Mr. Timson was decidedly outside those limits.
He exhibited nervous susceptibility in
the presence of ladies that branded his
lowly origin only too plainly upon
his homely countenance His skin, too, was
indeicately porous. in spite of the constant
applications of a red silk pocket handker-
chief, Pulsatilla's presence, or her very name,
would continually summon the dew to his
shiny temples and meek nose. Nevertheless,
to Lady Bastwick's horror, the gentle bosom
Of her child seemed not to harbor any in
superable objection to these personal draw
backs. She was considering the best way out
of the ENHANCEMENT which her own impetu-
osity had travelled, when the unexpected in
PREVENTION of Mr. Percy CHATTER cut the knot
in the least troublesome manner possible.
1t soon appeared that the erudte and meri-
torious TImson was no competitor with the
gay and artless Percy in the science of wooing
a maidens unapproprlated heart Timson
was out Of the running directly be brought
his guest for the first time to the hall, and at
the end of month be had the satisfaction of
congratulating his supplanter with the best
show of sincerity that he could muster.
Percy came back to town like a giant re-
freshed with wine; in fact, though he was far
from possessing hsrculean size or strength,
his experiments upon the knockers and rail
ings of his street upon that joyful night were
unhesitatingly ascribed by his set, which as
sembled TO rejoice with him, to alcoholic in
fuence.
The morning after his removal to more
commodious "diggings"-a step warranted by
his recent stroke OF luck-he received note
from Lady Bastwick which requested him tt
at Waterloo station that very afternoon
as they were coming to town fol-
weeks shopping. Percy was delighted
at this excuse for doing nothing dur
ing the next few days. He escorted the trav
elers to fashionable hotel, and declared hi
intention of sacrificing himself entirely t.
their pleasure,
"How good you arel" said Pulsatilla softly
"Shall tell him what We are both looking
forward TO, mamma"
Lady Bastwick was fast Succumbing to the
effects of fatigue and an extensive dinner; she
murmured an incoherent affirmative and fell
asleep well, then" continued Pulsatilla
shyly, "I-that Is, we-are 50 looking forward
to see you in your rooms, Percy. Your de
scription of them in your letters, you know
make NE long to see just what they are like
for myself; not because don't believe your
description is as good and correct as such
things can he" she added with a smile, "only
l don't want to picture you In them exactly
as you are; you must look so clever and
learned" she did not know how repeatedly be
had been ploughedl "and-and-you will
take US there, won't your
"Why, of course, dear, of course" re
piled Percy, pulling rather awkwardly at hi.
precipitous collar by the way-ah-wher
would you like to come ehf he asked, sftel
slight pause.
He felt uncomfortable, though he NIGH
surely have foreseen this But it had nevel
entered his head that Pulsatilla would b,
coming so soon, and in this stealthy, sus
picious sort of way, too. He was half in
clined to believe that Timson must have beef
slandering him behind his back.
"Couldn't we come tomorrow asked Pull
satilla, Frightening at the thought of invad
ing the awful sanctuary of bacbelOrhood, ana
perhaps leaving some feminine token of vic
tory upon its shrine
well, it's very unfortunate, RESPONDED
Percy quickly, "but the upholsterer has no
quite finished there yet; you see, there arr
one or two little jobs
"The upho!sterer" interrupted Pulsatils
mildly; why, you told ne i'll one of your let
tiers that you had got quite settled at the be
ginning of last week" H
yes, of course did, " said the unfortunat.
Percy; Il don't mean the upholsterer at all
what could have made Inc say it, l wonder
No, its the window cleaner, and it really
must be done. you know" he added some
what lamely.
"But cleaning two or three windows ougt
not to take long Percy. But even supposins
it does, why shouldn't you put him Off w
shant mind dirty windows for once in
way"
-Oh but you would mind these very mach,
said Percy desperately; 'they ,rent like ordi
nary windows, you know, and it isn't lik
ordinary dirt either, not a bit Besides b,
went on more confidently, "the man says tina
he has done part Of the job now and he cam
leave it unfinished; and he must do it when h
can, and not when | like, because he's got 8
many other engagements Sodon't you thinl
you could make it the day after tomorrow
Pulsatilla!n
"Very WELL" she answered sadly; since yo1
seem TO wish it, | will ask mamma if we ma,
alter our other arrangements to suit
The fact, unhappily, was that Percy's &C
oount of his rooms had been colored in
manner that bore very slight relation wit
the facts. In the first place, it would neve
have d. u the Bastwicks straight on
aho- taken expensive chamber
on the strength Of his new prospects. On nj
side there was only an old guardian in TIN
country, with whom he did not correspond
except upon business matters But it wa
well, he thought, to assert the evil conduct
his previous landlady as the cause o.
his leaving her. Then, il they assumed
his new lodgings to be on the same poverty
stricken scale as his Old ones had been, they
did so at their own risk and on their own re
sponsibility. His policy, therefore, had beer
to let them into the secret gradually, and, a